Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Last week Lori over at Fake Food Free posted a recipe for a Hearty Tomato, Kale & Mushroom Sauce which she served over homemade pasta. She said it was so good she couldn't wait to make it again. Since it contained all flavors we love I book marked it to try right away though I decided to turn it into a risotto.
Oh, did it ever make for a great rustic risotto full of sweet, rich flavor. It's very different than the cream & cheese filled risottos you often see & much healthier too. This is the kind of dish that makes me happy we blanch & freeze tons of kale when it's in season in the fall.

Hearty Tomato, Kale & Mushroom Risotto
(adapted from Fake Food Free)
I made this risotto with chicken stock because that is what I had on hand but you can use vegetable stock if you want to keep it completely vegetarian.

Put the tomatoes, mushrooms*, kale, balsamic vinegar, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes & a few grinds of fresh pepper in a skillet. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer while cooking the risotto rice until the mushrooms have cooked down & most, but not all, of the liquid has cooked away.

Meanwhile bring the stock to a simmer in a small pot. Keep simmering.

In a large, heavy saucepan melt the olive oil & butter over medium heat. Add the garlic & onion. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the rice & stir until completely coated. Stir in the white wine & cook until absorbed. Then begin adding the stock about 1/2 cup at a time, adding each addition when the one before is absorbed. When all the stock is used up the rice should be tender but still have a slight bite to it. (If you find it still a little uncooked you can add another addition of stock or even some water.)

12 comments:

we are huge, huge fans of kale and grow it during the summer months but we usually eat enough of it that we don't have any left to freeze; might have to plant extra this coming season! i think we'd love this risotto!!